Tuesday, 15 June 2010

I have been extremely fortunate to have had a lot of publicity around my product and the degree show. Including some airtime on the radio via North sound (I will try and get clips up when I work out how) and also in the press including the evening express, the Sun and the Press and Journal.

I received a lot of phone calls from my feature in the Press and Journal, in particular those contacts that I have in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire where I was fortunate enough to be featured on the front page. It is certainly very bizarre to have people recognising you in the street and I have had several people contact me wanting to buy one, which I take as a massive compliment. It is also good to get feedback from real life patients and I hope that through expanding my contacts that I can build on and refine my designs further.

I have a meeting with ARI and their orthotic dept later this month so fingers crossed that all goes well but needless to say I see wonderful things to come from this project. I have also been approached regarding looking into the design of a neck brace so watch this space!! I am looking for new projects and to expand on this one.

As our degree show fast approaches we are manically trying to get everything done in time to ensure that we put on a good show for you all. I have some finishing to do on the material covers for my panels as there was a last minute change in presentation set up so no doubt I will be sewing like a crazy person all day Thursday to get them done ready for final set up on the Friday.

We open for the VIP viewing on Friday with the show opening to the public on Saturday which runs for a week until Saturday the 26th so I do urge you to all come and look forward to seeing you there !

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

As part of my hand in I have chosen to condense my years work into a small book using Blurb and their Book Smart software. As a class we are all using this format to communicate essential elements of our projects for the degree show whether it the processes that you have used the research which you have conducted or a bit of both I think it is a wonderful way to condense a years worth of work in a much more appealing format. I also think it’s a great keepsake for when you leave for the same reason.

Branding

To reflect the focus on psychological pressures and addressing social stigma’s in the products design I have chosen to name the final product Embrace.

This reflects the philosophy behind the product. The ‘Em’ stands for emotional to reflect the psychological consideration in the design of the product and its impact on a patient rehabilitation process.

However it also works as a whole, through encouraging the patient to embrace their situation. This reflects the attention to aspects such as the promotion of greater patient independence and better mental well being with minimum social stigma. The logo is also intended to reflect this.

We have also been incredibly busy this week promoting not only ourselves but also our products as well. This has manifested itself very positively for me and I have received a lot of positive feedback about my work so watch this space !!

I have also done a new video as a brief comparison between exiting designs and my new one so I hope to get that up sometime this week.

Orthopaedics as a specialism has often been neglected as a specialism even though it is an area which holds some of the most exciting and dramatic developments in medicine. There have been huge steps made in the treatment of orthopaedic problems with the development in areas such as medical implants and orthobiologics but there has still been very little regard for what happens to the patient once they leave hospital which is the area I am keen to address.

I think this has also been from a growing interest in things such as thr media and society. The Independent recently that road traffic accidents are the leading cause of disablement and death for those aged 45 and under. It is also said that 1 in 2 of us will have some form of orthopaedic problem in our lifetime which means that around 50% of the UK population will be directly effected although through the rule of 7 degrees of separation this will probably impact everyone to some extent whether it is through helping a family member to helping out a college at work.

Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Our degree show and hand in are fast approaching so its all go here as we rush to get everything done in time. The space is now painted the plinths are n the middle of construction and we are putting the finishing touches to our models. Thanks to the incredible help that is Fraser I am fortunate enough to have my model and mannequin finished. Although unfortunately this does not mean that I have no work to do, I am now at the point of refinement so it’s all about crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s.

I am currently working on refining how I want to present my work and putting together so display boards to show my progression of work. I am also working on a video which compares the current design to my design in aspects such as weight, lifestyle impact and ease to get on and off so keep your eyes peeled for that coming soon.

I was asked to present at TraumaCare last month which was a fantastic experience. TraumaCare is an international medical conference which encourages a multidisciplinary approach in medicine. I was presenting on the Emotional Trauma of Rehabilitation and the Patient Perspective.

TraumaCare have done a lot of work to raise awareness of trauma as a specialism and I would certainly recommend that you check out their website at:

http://www.trauma.myzen.co.uk/

This was a fantastic experience and something which I really enjoyed, The presentation went very well, regardless of the tech gremlins and I have received some very positive feedback about both the presentation and my work which is such a confidence boost. I just want to say a huge thank you to Professor David Alexander for being my travel companion and putting my name forward to present, it is something which I thought I would never be able to do without his support and guidance.

About Me

Im currently in my 4th yr of Product Design at Robert Gordon's University although i graduate very soon. I believe in inclusive design and addressing everyday issues which always get overlooked. I have always had a great love for marketing and believe that a dual disapline approach is needed, its all a matter of understanding, respect and being creative.